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Belleville and Alderbrook: primary school consultation

We have published a series of articles on the Belleville primary school extension and the choice of primary school in Clapham Junction area over this summer (read our series HERE).

As promised this summer (read the bottom of our article HERE) Wandsworth Council is now running a consultation on primary school admissions in the Northcote, Shaftesbury and Balham Wards and the expansion of Alderbrook School.

The Council is considering the establishment of a geographical priority area for admission to Belleville Primary School from September 2012 and the establishment of a secondary geographical priority area for admission to Belleville Primary School, around its satellite site in Forthbridge Road SW11 5NX, from September 2012 (similar to plan B explained in our article on Solutions for Belleville extension).

Here is the map (click on the image to see bigger) with colours for the two catchment areas (priority zones):

The council does use Geographical Priority Areas at some other schools in the Borough. These are a fixed catchment areas i.e. specific shaped area not just distance and one school Beatrix Potter has a first and second priority area with admission priority following that (Children living in the first priority area are given priority over those living in the second priority area. However, living in either priority area does not guarantee a place at the school. This will depend on the demand for places from people living in the priority areas in a particular year.)

The Biggest effect of GPAs however is on sibling admission. Siblings only get priority admission if they STILL live in the GPA. The idea to use priority areas for Belleville primary school (with extension in Forthbridge road) was raised by Councillor Kathy Tracey.

The Belleville Governors are against these Council proposals, so are they even workable?

The proposals are very complicated. They conflate the sibling issue at Belleville with the Forthbridge school access issue.

The sibling issue is separate and is for Belleville parents to decide. Many people would like to see this addressed at ALL the schools in the area at the same time.

This “ranked GPAs proposal” is flawed because:
– Nearly all of the reception places offered at Belleville in 2010 by distance alone were to addresses already located in the FIRST GPA (including the 30 “Forthbridge places”).
– The distances used in the SECOND GPA will still be measured from the Belleville main site.
– Evidence from other schools shows there’s little realistic chance that any child from the SECOND GPA would ever actually gain a place (Beatrix Potter School 2007-2009)

2 thoughts on “Belleville and Alderbrook: primary school consultation”

Unless I have misunderstood this, it doesn’t address the concerns of those living near the Forthbridge Road site. Most of these do live in the second priority zone (at the eastern end) – but will only get a place once demand in the main area is satisfied. There are unlikely to be many places left over – even if fewer siblings will get in (from parents that have moved away).

I think it would be important to ask, during the consultation meetings, what are the place projections for the local area. It should be something that the Council is able to run based on subscription for last years.

Belleville is already over-subscribed and the current catchment area seems smaller than the priority 1 zone.
The extension site of Forthbridge will provide an additional form of entry, which will allow an increase of 25%. However the additional zone is an increase of 50%, therefore it is perfectly legitimate to raise doubts on the result of the proposed solution.

Again we should call for the council to provide projections for the local area.